


Agrimony and Tulips

by blackat_t7t



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: Fluff, Language of Flowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-14
Updated: 2011-08-14
Packaged: 2019-08-07 06:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16403228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackat_t7t/pseuds/blackat_t7t
Summary: Mike finds out that Harvey likes potted plants, and decides to give him one.





	Agrimony and Tulips

**Author's Note:**

> Imported from LiveJournal on 10/24/2018
> 
> Original notes: written for a prompt [here](http://suitsmeme.livejournal.com/2038.html?thread=2299126#t2299126) at suitsmeme : I don't know why, but I can't get the idea of Harvey taking care of flowers out of my head. How about Mike founding out Harvey likes flowers by accident, (maybe from Donna?) and buying him some?

 

Mike had just finished some paperwork and was going to give it to Harvey, but as he passed Donna’s desk she said, “Stop.” Mike turned back, and saw that she was speaking to him without even raising her head from her work. “Harvey’s not in yet. Whatever it is, you can leave it with me.”

“This is for the-” Mike began as he lay the file on her desk, but he was cut off again.

“Don’t care. Back to work.” Mike huffed, trying to decide if he was offended by her curt dismissal or not. Then he noticed the potted plant sitting on her desk. It resembled a small lavender bush, several slender stems peppered with flowers along the sides, but the blooms were yellow rather than purple. He knew the plant hadn’t been there yesterday, and he wondered where it had come from.

“Is this yours?” Mike asked Donna, reaching out to touch the plant. Donna’s hand slapped him away.

“It’s Harvey’s. A pro bono client who runs a flower shop brought it for him, as thanks.” Mike looked at the plant, and tried to imagine Harvey setting it in a sunny window and watering it every day. Somehow he couldn’t imagine Harvey as the sort of person who would want to take time out of his busy schedule to care for something, even something as simple as a plant.

“It’ll probably die,” Mike muttered as he touched one of the leaves.

“No it won’t,” Donna said absently, now paying too much attention to her work to bother scolding Mike for touching the plant. “Harvey likes plants. He keeps potted flowers on the balcony at his apartment.”

“Really?” Mike asked, eyebrows arching in surprise. He tried again to envision Harvey caring for plants, but it just didn’t work. His mind kept refusing to believe that the images it produced of Harvey in a three piece suit, carefully watering and tending to potted flowers, might actually be true. It was just too ridiculous, and not at all in alignment with the image of the man he’d formed in his mind.

Donna shot him a glare, and Mike quickly shut his mouth and retreated to his cubicle. He tried to work, but the bizarre picture of Harvey with flowers kept forcing its way back into the forefront of his mind. Donna hadn’t seemed to be mocking him when she said it, but sometimes it was hard to tell with her. He wondered if Harvey really did keep flowers on his balcony. He wondered how many Harvey had, and what kinds. He wondered if Harvey had edible plants or purely decorative ones, if he cared for them himself or paid someone to do it, if he was as meticulous in his care of plants as he was in planning out his cases.

When Harvey arrived at the building and passed by Mike’s cubicle, Mike followed him at a distance. He still couldn’t really see Harvey caring for plants, and he wondered how Harvey would react to the flowers.

“Ross left this for you,” Donna said as Harvey passed by her desk, holding the file out to him. Harvey took it from her but tucked it under his arm without opening it. His attention was on the plant.

“Is this from Tabitha?” Harvey asked as he turned the pot around to look at the plant.

“It could be mine,” Donna replied. “This working environment is horribly dull, and I need something to add some life to it.”

“This is agrimony,” Harvey said as he looked over the plant, a little smile forming on his lips. “It represents gratitude. It’s not exactly the type of plant you pick out for your office.”

“Fine, yes, Tabitha brought it by to thank you for saving her shop,” Donna said. Harvey picked up the plant and took it to his office, still smiling. Donna turned to watch him through the windows as he set it on his desk, then went back to her work.

Mike returned to his desk, the image of Harvey holding the plant –agrimony- and smiling at it still stuck in his mind. Harvey’s expression had been almost… tender. It was not something Mike had ever expected to see on the other man’s face. Harvey in a suit holding a plant. It was just as strange as Mike had imagined, but it seemed to be very real. Harvey liked flowers.

Mike mused on this as he sat in front of his desk, trying to work but failing miserably. Finally he opened an internet page and typed “agrimony gratitude” into the search bar. The results all seemed to be about some sort of “language of flowers,” so Mike searched for this as well. He found that it was a sort of code used in Victorian times, when bouquets were given to express sentiments. Mike smiled as he scrolled through the list of flowers and their meanings, thinking that it might be nice to give Harvey a flower.

Although Mike had long since accepted that Harvey would never return the feelings Mike had for him, he still wanted to show the other man that he cared enough to remember his hobbies and interests. And the thought of Harvey taking care of a plant that had been a gift from Mike made him smile, just a little, though he couldn’t help but wish that Harvey would look at him with that tender expression, and not just a plant Mike had given him.

Mike sighed and glanced back at the screen, telling himself that in a few seconds he would have to close the page and get back to work. His eyes ran over the list of flowers and sentiments, and he wondered which would be appropriate to give to Harvey.

 

 

Mike felt ridiculous, standing in the middle of the hall with a pot of yellow tulips. He wasn’t sure how to give them to Harvey, or how he would react if Harvey knew exactly what the flower he’d chosen meant and confronted him about. Finally he’d decided to leave the pot on Harvey’s desk while he was out, and let him try to figure out who it was from. The only problem was that, although Harvey was out, Donna was still there. Mike knew that Donna would report to Harvey exactly who had gone into his office, and what they were holding, so if Donna was there he might as well walk up to Harvey and hand him the plant himself. Thus Mike was standing in the hallway watching the office, waiting for Donna to leave so he could put the plant on Harvey’s desk. He felt extremely self-conscious, standing with a plant in his hands while other people walked by giving him questioning looks.

Mike nearly jumped out of his skin when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned back to see Rachel looking at him curiously, and breathed out a sigh of relief. “And who might those be for?” Rachel asked with a little smirk, looking down at the yellow tulips in Mike’s hands.

“They’re not for you,” Mike said, then realized that probably sounded rude and opened his mouth to apologize.

“They’re for Harvey, aren’t they?” Rachel asked before he could say anything. Mike gaped back at her in horror, wondering how she knew. Rachel just smirked. “It’s obvious you like him. I’m sure everyone in the office knows.”

Mike gulped as a cold chill ran down his spine. Everyone? All of Rachel’s paralegal friends he barely knew? All the other associates who constantly mocked him? Jessica? Louis? “Harvey?” Mike asked, horrified.

Rachel frowned, and seemed to be thinking about the question. “Rachel!” Mike grabbed her wrist in urgency, trying to get her to answer him.

“Donna’s gone,” Rachel said quickly, glancing over Mike’s shoulder. He followed her gaze and saw that the desk was empty. “If you’re going to leave it, you’d better do it now.” Mike turned back to Rachel, but she’d pulled free of his hand and was walking away quickly. Mike looked back at the empty office and swallowed nervously. She was right. If he was going to leave it, he had to do it now.

Mike quickly walked up to the office and opened the door. It was strange, going into Harvey’s office when he wasn’t there, and Mike couldn’t help but feel like a child sticking his hand in the cookie jar. He hesitated for a moment just inside the door, then went over to the desk and found a clear spot to set the tulips down. The agrimony from the previous day was gone, probably taken home with Harvey. Mike thought of Harvey putting the agrimony on his balcony, and then of him putting Mike’s tulips next to it. He liked the thought of Harvey caring for them, even if he never knew who they were from.

Mike took a step back from the desk and turned to leave the office, only to see Harvey already standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face as he watched Mike. Mike’s mouth ran dry as Harvey approached him, and he couldn’t think of any explanation to justify his presence in Harvey’s office. Harvey walked past Mike to his desk without saying or doing anything to him. Mike’s first instinct was to run for the door, but his curiosity forced him to stay and turn back to watch as Harvey picked up the pot of tulips. Clearly there was no denying that he had been the one to leave them. Mike wondered how long Harvey had been watching.

Mike turned to the door and took a step towards it, finally working up the courage to run, but Harvey’s voice stopped him. “Yellow tulips,” he said, and Mike froze in place, not daring to leave but not daring to turn back either. "Do you know what they stand for?" Harvey’s voice was even. Mike couldn't tell what he thought of the flowers. "They represent hopeless love. Is that really how you feel, Mike?”

Mike didn’t answer. Even if he’d wanted to, he didn’t think he could make his mouth say the words. He heard Harvey set the plant down and come over to him. “Is that how you feel?” he repeated, and this time Mike forced himself to answer.

“Yes,” he said softly, still not looking at Harvey. He could feel Harvey step closer, until Mike could feel the other man’s breath on his neck, making him shiver.

“It should have been red,” Harvey murmured, and Mike’s mind flashed back to the list of flowers. Red tulips were for a declaration of love, but they said nothing about hopelessness or rejection. Mike held his breath, barely daring to believe that Harvey’s word meant what he thought they did. Harvey’s arms wrapped loosely around his waist, and Mike turned in them to face him. He could see in Harvey’s eyes the same love and tenderness Mike had envied in his look at the plant, only greater, more intense, and it took his breath away.

“Red?” Mike whispered, and Harvey nodded. Red tulips for a declaration of love. “I love you,” he said softly. Harvey leaned down, closing the space between them slowly, inch by inch, until finally their lips met. It was careful at first, as they tested new waters, but as their lips moved against each other it became more passionate. Mike’s lips parted and Harvey’s tongue slid into his mouth, tangling with his and making Mike moan.

Finally they broke apart for air, and Mike panted against Harvey’s lips as he tried to catch his breath. “I love you too,” Harvey murmured, and pressed a close-mouthed kiss to Mike’s lips. They stood together for several minutes, content simply holding each other and gazing into one another’s eyes. “

So,” Mike murmured at last, “I guess you really do like flowers.”

“I do,” Harvey replied, his lips tilting upwards in a smirk. “Maybe you can come home with me tonight, and I’ll show you the balcony where I keep them.”

Mike laughed softly, and smiled when Harvey kissed his temple. “I’d like that.”  


 


End file.
